Identity Crisis
by Madam Sakamoto
Summary: Looking back, Tony decided that this whole terrible fiasco was probably Thor's fault. Probably. Because let's face it, he was the one who brought his deranged, bag-of-cats brother back down to earth and had the audacity to take the muzzle off. -crack contained within-
1. The Crisis Begins

_Didn't I warn you that this could happen?  
__This idea just popped into my head last night, and I couldn't _not_ write it, because it was just too good of a chance to pass up. And I know people have undoubtedly done something akin to this before, but I don't care. I took this prompt and plan to put my own spin on it.  
__So please, don't kill me._

* * *

Looking back, Tony decided that this whole terrible fiasco was probably Thor's fault.

Probably.

Because let's face it, he was the one who brought his deranged, bag-of-cats brother back down to earth and had the audacity to take the muzzle off.

Which Tony had told him at the time was a terrible idea. Repeatedly told him. With Bruce and Clint backing him up.

But no, Goldie-Locks had loosed the mayhem that was Loki's malice, and now they were here. Stuck staring at themselves across the table Fury had gathered them around.

And it was Thor's fault.

Although, despite the inconvenience and utter absurdity of the situation, Tony had to admit that Loki did have a rather poetic sense of justice.

Not that he would _ever_ say that out loud at _this_ table, but he couldn't hide the way his lips quirked up at the corners every time Thor shot a look across the table to where his dear baby brother sat, all wily glances and general gaze avoidance.

The lips of the other Tony, who was seated across from him, were drawn in a very serious frown.

And there were reasons for that, he supposed.

Reasons that, until approximately an hour ago, none of them had ever imagined were possible.

* * *

"I'm telling you, Thor, this is a bad idea."

"And I am disagreeing with you, Tony. I believe my brother may have information we require. Director Fury has already given me permission to interrogate Loki, and his authority is higher than yours."

"Yeah, and he's also a hell of a lot dumber than he looks, but fine, ignore my advice, let the bag of cats out of the basement. See where it gets you."

Thor looked momentarily confused by the term _bag of cats_, but shrugged it off as another Midgardian analogy that he didn't understand yet. He turned away from Tony, who was still mumbling under his breath, and nodded to one of the SHIELD handlers who was nearest to Loki.

Tony would have given anything to know what those poor, hapless interns had done to deserve this.

With the muzzle off -Tony had to wonder at what it was made of, given that humans could remove it but apparently Loki lacked the dexterity to- the brunette in the container below them worked his jaw a few times and rubbed at the creases the metal had left against his skin.

He looked up at them, and Tony knew right then that he'd been right.

This was a terrible idea.

* * *

It had taken less than ten minutes for his point to be proven. And by that time, Clint had lost his cool twice and been escorted from the observation deck by Natasha.

Tony suspected that even after all this time; Clint still had issues with his one-time captor. And he couldn't blame him for it either; Tony had felt the same way at one point in time.

According to Jarvis's data and his scenario run-throughs, Clint's outburst had actually saved him and Natasha from the fate that befell the other four of them.

Tony tried not to feel sore over that; after all, it wasn't Clint's fault he hated the smarmy little prat and couldn't stand to be in the same area as him.

Tony also tried not to think about how much damage that much magic might have done to his arc reactor, and held himself together all throughout the meeting with Fury, telling himself that if anything serious had happened, he would be able to tell.

"So, wait, let me get this straight," Clint had the look on his face that Tony knew meant _this is hilarious, but I'll try not to laugh at you outright_, "you all _switched bodies_?"

Thor -no, wait, _Bruce_- let out a long-suffering sigh. "Yes, Clint, we switched bodies. Stop looking like Christmas came early just because you managed to miss out on all the fun."

Tony grinned. He liked it when Bruce got sarcastic like that.

"I do not understand," Bruce -no, hold it, _Thor_- queried his companions, "how did Loki change us so completely?"

"Magic." Both Tony's said at the same time, two different voices overlapping on the same word. Blue eyes met brown, and Tony had to wonder at how he -no, no, _Steve_- had gotten to the same conclusion so quickly.

"I saw things sort of like that back in the HYDRA camps…" He sounded _abashed_, and okay, no, that tone should not be coming out of Tony's mouth. "Loki's was more concentrated, I think…"

Inquisitive looks were suddenly directed Tony's way, and he blinked. "Last time we met, he was running rampant with a magic wand. Duh."

Clint looked like he wanted to laugh at Captain America saying _duh_, but refrained. "Okay, so, how do we change you back?"

"And how do we do it quickly?" Bruce interjected, sending Thor a worried glance.

That was where Tony's appreciation for Loki's artistry came into play. He'd put the man with the anger management issues into the ticking time bomb, and America's playboy into the national icon.

You would have had to be deaf, dumb, and blind to miss the beautiful irony of _that_.

"We could always try asking nicely." Tony ventured with a bat of his eyelashes. "I'm sure that if his dear, darling, big brother gets into the picture he can be convinced."

Steve looked like he wanted to club him. "Tony, this isn't a joke."

"I'm aware, but you have to admit, there's something at least a _little_ comical about all of this."

Steve gave him a deadpan look that was suspiciously in-character for Tony himself. "I must be missing the punch line, then."

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. "Enough, both of you. Tony," he started to direct his gaze to Steve before he corrected himself and looked at the blond on his right, "get Jarvis to do some diagnostics on all of us and run through a few scenarios. See if he can't at least get some idea of what happened."

The pleasantly British tones of the AI rained down from the ceiling almost instantly after he'd finished speaking. "I am already working on it, Dr. Banner."

What might have been a smile flitted over the doctor's borrowed face. "Good. Now, Tony, since I've been watching your fingers flutter for the past hour, go ahead and run your own tests." He indicated Steve with a tilt of his head.

Steve looked confused and surprised for a moment before Tony hauled him bodily from his chair and carried him out the door.

Clint had taken the opportunity the distraction provided to duck out gracefully, and Natasha had disappeared somewhere else entirely. Bruce looked across the table to the tanned face that was his own and huffed a little sigh. "I suppose you should come with me, then. Can't have you getting all worked up."

Thor rose dutifully, confidence oozing out of him even when in the smaller body. "Of course, I would not wish damage upon our fellows from losing control."

Bruce tried not to let himself get carried away by the suddenly light feeling in his chest, and motioned Thor out of the door in front of him, trying to decide what to do with him until Jarvis finished up.

"Let's get you down to my lab, okay?"

* * *

Tony had decided that no matter what Steve said, he was entitled to wear things that didn't make him look like a patriotic Popsicle, and had donned a band-T that made Steve's eyebrow quirk in silent protest.

"Deal with it, Cap, I work better when I'm comfortable."

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose and Tony mentally chalked that up as a victory. Apparently being called Cap by his own mouth made the hero's head spin.

Good to know.

"Sit," Tony half-guided-half-shoved Steve over to the examination table, "stay."

Steve dutifully sat at attention and tried not to stare at the other man as he made his way around the room, rattling off directions to an AI that already knew to accept these orders even though they were from a different voice.

"Shirt, off." Tony rolled into over on a stool and waited for Steve to realize what he meant, and undo the buttons of the crimson shirt he was wearing. Tony didn't miss the way his fingers hesitated for a moment before flicking the shirt open. "Shy, Cap?"

Steve managed a slight smile. "Sorry, it's just… It feels weird, sitting in my chest. I didn't realize…" He trailed off, eyes not meeting Tony's.

"Don't worry about it," Tony shrugged, fingers already feeling around the outer edge of the reactor, searching for tissue damage. "Does it hurt, though?"

"I guess it sort of does, a little. But I suppose your body is used to that by…" He trailed off when he realized what Tony had meant. "Oh! No, no, I'm fine."

Tony kicked at the wall and sent himself sailing over to a work bench before he directed another order at the ceiling. "Jarvis, do a scan, would you, internal and external. I want to make sure Steve doesn't end up kicking the bucket before he gets back into his real body."

Steve took that as a general sort of concern from Tony, and let a small smile pull at the corners of his mouth. "So, how about you?" He asked as Tony wheeled himself back over, looking at the screen on the wall beside where he sat. "How does it feel to be me?"

"Weird." Tony answered instantly. "Seriously, I don't know how you deal with it."

There was a grin in his eyes, though, and Steve managed a chuckle. "Such a chore, being me, isn't it?"

"You think that's bad? Wait till Pepper realizes I've misplaced myself. She'll freak."

Steve went a few shades paler and tried not to think about the sorts of things Pepper might do to any one of them when she heard the news. "Oh."

Tony grinned. "Let's hope we get this sorted out before she has to find out, okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

* * *

Tony decided Thor looked fairly okay in jeans and a T-shirt, even though Banner was clearly itching to get out of the demi-god's skin, and grinned when he walked through the door. "I don't know if you know this already, doctor, but you don't look half bad as a blond."

It took Bruce a second to process those words coming out of Captain America's mouth, but then he recovered, smirking slightly. "Yeah, you too, Tony." He glanced between the two of them before continuing. "Find anything useful, yet?"

"Other than the fact that my ticker's still ticking? No dice."

Bruce looked pained.

"Things with Thor not going so great?" Tony asked, not looking at Bruce as he wheeled back over to his work table and started to read the information that was being displayed above it.

"Oh, no, no, he's fine. Although I'm going to need a new pair of glasses." He shrugged. "I can't pick up his hammer, though, so if anything goes wrong, and the world needs saving…"

"Clint and Natasha are all over any crisis that comes our way." Tony interjected, pausing in his reading to send Bruce a reassuring grin. "Well, except for ones that deal with identity."

Bruce's laugh was only a little strained.

* * *

_Yeah, this is chapter one of who-knows-how-many._ _A few, okay. At least two. This started as a one-shot, and I realized there was no way I was gonna be able to do that, so le gasp! it has turned into a chapter-fic._

_Heaven help us all._

_Also, I think it's fairly hilarious -and telling- that I write Tony so easily and smoothly. *coughs to hide chuckle*_

_Reviews are always greatly appreciated, and greatly encouraged._

* * *

The Avengers and its related characters _belong to: _Marvel


	2. The Crisis Continues

_Whew, got this done faster than I thought I would! Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Steve had learned to put up with a lot during his time in the military. And even before that, as a skinny, asthmatic kid in Brooklyn, he'd had to learn how to fend for himself when he wasn't being looked after by his friends.

And now, while he sat uncomfortably in the chair he'd habitually picked and tried not to notice how Pepper's eyes bored into him, he really wished Tony would stop grinning long enough to realize he could use a friend right about now.

"This isn't funny, Tony." Pepper's gaze shifted for a fraction of a second onto him before snapping back towards Steve. "Do you know how it happened?"

Steve felt the lump in his throat and knew it was from nervousness. Thankfully, Tony chose that moment to stop being amused by the situation and came to his aid.

"Magic. Of the Loki variety. Not sure how he pulled it off besides that, though, but Banner and I are trying to work it out."

Steve offered Pepper what he hoped was a hopeful look, -he was still trying to get used to the muscles in Tony's face, they felt all wrong and pulled in the strangest places when he didn't want them to- but he doubted it was well-received by the way she sighed moments later.

"And Thor…?"

"Hasn't the foggiest about it either," Tony supplied readily, "but he's offered up his body to science, so Bruce is scanning the hell out of him in a hope that _something_ will pop up and give us a lead."

Pepper seemed to go over this information mentally for a moment before she turned back to Steve, her expression softer than before. "And how about you, Captain, how are you coping with all of this?"

Steve wanted to laugh, but he knew that would have been rude. "Strange as it may sound, Miss Potts, I think there are worse places to find yourself than the body of a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."

Tony looked smug for a fraction of a second before Pepper actually giggled. "I don't know, Captain, I might have to argue with you there."

Tony mocked offense at this, hand placed over his heart, and Steve managed a small chuckle. Whatever other emotions Pepper might instill in him -namely dread, due to her attitude and sheer aptitude to make him feel either completely at ease or utterly uncomfortable with nothing but a look- there was a certain something to her that was truly unique.

He could see why Tony was so clearly head-over-heels for her.

He watched the two fire comments back and forth, only half listening, and then nearly jumped out of his skin when he realized what, exactly, Tony was doing.

He was flirting.

Flirting was a completely natural Tony thing to do, regular as breathing, apparently, and it was even more natural for him to be flirting with Pepper, given their relationship, but it was the fact that he was flirting _with Steve's body_ that jarred the Captain so completely.

And in a completely inexplicable burst of panic, he cleared his throat loudly and looked at the man across from him pointedly. "Sorry, Tony, but you said you wanted to run some more scans on your arc reactor before Fury came back today."

Tony looked puzzled for about three seconds before his expression snapped perfectly back into a smile that looked all wrong on Steve's own face. "I did, didn't I? Well then, sorry to pry us away, Pep, but duty calls."

Steve decided that a formerly unthought-of crisis had been diverted, and had to try to ignore the slightly relieved wave that washed through him as Tony stood and did nothing more than give Pepper's hand a slight squeeze before he was half-pulling-half-pushing Steve across the room and into the elevator.

And Steve was completely shocked by his level of self control when he didn't deck Tony the instant before the doors closed, and he winked and blew a kiss Pepper's way.

As soon as they were safely sealed inside the steel box, however, he sent Tony a rare look. "I would really appreciate it if you didn't do that."

Tony had the gall to waggle his eyebrows. "Do what, Cap?"

Steve tried not to huff indignantly, he really did, and he managed to get away with what might have sounded more like a snort instead. "Flirt with Pepper while wearing my skin. It's…"

"Disconcerting, strange, completely bizarre beyond compare?"

Steve blinked. "Ah, yes."

"Sorry, Cap, sort of a natural reaction to her at this point. But tell you what," his grin softened just a touch at the corners, and Steve could tell the difference, "I'll try to keep my hands to myself as much as possible until you get your hide back, okay?"

Steve nodded once, sending back a smile he knew looked completely genuine -and it would have taken all the king's horses and all the king's men to make him admit that he'd actually practiced it for nigh on an hour to be sure he was doing it right- and stepped out of the elevator and into Tony's lab first. "Okay."

* * *

Bruce Banner was not the type of man to enter any room without knocking first and rarely did he then admit himself unless bidden to do so. He was cautious of other people's privacy and space, and Steve had found that he liked that about the doctor.

So he knew, instinctively, that there was something wrong the moment Banner came barreling through the door into Tony's workshop, completely skipping over the knocking step, and hardly giving Jarvis enough time to introduce him.

Tony apparently knew something was wrong too, because he actually stopped working and looked up long enough to assess the doctor's current state. "Something wrong, Banner?"

His face went into an odd sort of contortionist act as he attempted to calm himself, breathing deeply and evenly. "Tony please tell me you have something, because we have a problem."

"Oh hell, did Thor go all Big Green on us? Is your lab okay or is Fury gonna tear us all a new one when he…" He trailed off, looking back up at the doctor. "Hold up, are _you_ okay?"

"Tony, I flew."

Steve apparently made the correlation more quickly than Tony did, because the he was halfway into a joke about the Big Guy's strength when he realized what Bruce meant.

"Good God, _seriously_? Like, feet off the ground, floating like a butterfly, soaring like an airplane?" His eyes lit up as Bruce nodded slowly. "_Can I_ _see_?"

Steve threw Tony a look he knew was ignored, but it made him feel better all the same. "When did this happen, Bruce?"

"Just now. I must have fallen asleep in the lab while I was going over Thor's scans. The next thing I knew I was waking up to my own face grinning up at me."

Steve shivered involuntarily.

"Thor said something about how wondrous it was that I was mastering his abilities and I fell face-first back down to earth."

Tony winced sympathetically. "Hold up, I thought Thor's _hammer_ let him fly. I've never seen him zip around without it."

Banner shrugged. "Neither have I, but he didn't seem surprised."

Tony frowned suddenly, and Steve felt like he'd just missed something terribly important. "What's wrong?"

"If Bruce is flying that means that he's no longer just taking up space in Thor's head, he's starting to take over bits of it. Which, admittedly, would be sort of awesome if his hammer weren't so against being wielded by him, but as it is, it's a bad sign."

Steve's eyebrows drew together. "I'm not following."

"Okay, with you and me, it's fine. It's your _body_ that's got the serum in it, so me being super strong in here is totally normal. But if Bruce is flying that means he's doing something that is a completely unique Thor thing, and that's bad. Because that means, at some point, he could potentially stop being Banner and start being Thor."

Steve noticed the doctor go a few shades paler and lean against the worktable nearest to him. "Oh."

"Yeah. So unless you _want_ Bruce to start being the rowdy one who chucks breakable dishware onto the ground, I suggest you go have a chat with our friendly neighborhood whack-job."

Steve stood quickly -forcing himself to ignore the minor tremor in his legs- and moved to the door. "Sounds like a plan to me."

* * *

_XD_

_Writing for Steve is a blast. I should probably try to do it more often._

_Anyway, thanks to you all who have reviewed and added this to your alert list, it means a lot!_

_Next chapter soon, I promise!_


	3. The Crisis Culminates

_This one took a little longer to finish up, but hopefully you'll forgive me for that..._

* * *

Despite all of his self control, all of his mental preparation for what was about to happen, Tony found himself incapable of remaining calm when he saw the rather mocking smile that spilt onto Loki's face the moment Steve entered the containment room.

The sheet of glass off to Tony's left shattered under his knuckles, and he noticed the way Banner took a few calculated steps backwards.

"Sorry." Tony automatically muttered, shaking away the shards that still clung to his fingers.

"No, no, don't worry about it…" Bruce replied just as softly, moving in closer again.

Tony knew, merely from the set of Bruce's shoulders and the sound of his breathing, that if he were back in his own body, he'd be green and mean right now.

Sometimes the switches weren't so bad after all.

Tony kept his eyes glued onto the brunette below them but directed his next words to the AI lurking in the ceiling. "Jarvis; patch us through, would you? I wanna hear this."

Loki's voice flooded the observation room suddenly, and then the volume adjusted itself to a lower level. As he spoke, his voice sounded as though he were standing in the room behind them, not down in the cell.

"Finally come to pay me a visit I see." Loki's tone was bordering on pleased. "So nice of you to drop by…" He trailed off, gaze trailing up and over Tony's body, clearly trying to discover who was wearing the skin without actually asking.

Bruce caught the slight shudder that passed through Tony at Loki's look.

"Did you merely wish to enquire after my health, Captain, or are you here for another reason?"

Tony felt proud at the way Steve kept his composure. "I wanted to ask you how I can get my body back."

"Ah, but of course. Unfortunately, you have no bargaining chip to use, and therefore nothing that I may wish in exchange for such vital information."

Tony knew, without even having to think about it; that Steve didn't pose much of a threat to Loki in his current state, and he also knew that Loki knew it to. Tony felt a prickling of annoyance at the fact that, once again, Steve's comment about him being useless without his suit was proven.

Steve didn't look like he cared, though, because he casually moved closer to the cage, a tiny, secretive smile pulling at the corner's of his mouth. "And what, exactly, could a human like me _possibly_ offer a God like you in order to get said information?"

Tony might have applauded if he didn't think it would have been taken as inappropriate.

Loki looked mildly interested as he tilted his head off to one side. "Are you proposing a deal, Captain? At the risk of harming your comrades and your country?"

Steve shrugged, arms folding themselves over his chest. "I'm not fond of this body, as I'm sure was your intention. I don't like being this useless."

Tony, hands clenching and unclenching as his sides in order to give them something to do, repeated a mantra of _its all part of the game_, over and over again in his head for the next minute.

Bruce leant over just enough that his shoulder bumped briefly against Tony's, and he snapped out of it, folding his arms in an attempt to keep the remaining glass walls intact.

Loki smiled at that. "Why Captain, how utterly unlike you. If I did not know better, I would guess that you have begun to take on a few of Tony's own traits." His eyes suddenly found more focus and he seemed to sober slightly. "That is not the case, is it?"

Steve leant against the railing that went around the platform where the cell rested. "And if it is?" He asked; his face completely blank.

Loki lifted an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Then I would be pleased to know that my magic was more potent than I meant it to be."

"It's happening to Bruce too, though," Steve suddenly changed tacks, "which means you're about to lose whatever little love your brother has for you and gain a God that can kick your scrawny hide right back to Asgard."

Loki looked thoughtful. "Is that so?"

"It is." Steve tilted his head off to one side, looking at Loki intently. "So, assuming you don't want the god of thunder suddenly not semi-sorta on your side, you might want to look into fixing this little predicament." He let a small, mocking smile slide onto his lips, leaning forward slightly. "Or is that not enough of a bargaining chip for you?"

Tony grinned up in the observation deck, and he could have sworn he saw a smile flicker onto Bruce's face as well.

"There is a spell that, perhaps, could reverse the effects. But you will not like it." Loki's face said that he would enjoy it immensely, though.

"What is it?"

* * *

"That sounds like a really bad idea."

"Tony…"

"A _really_ bad idea, Steve."

"I don't especially like it either, but we have no choice."

Clint, who was currently standing by the window with his back to the rest of the group, couldn't hide the way his shoulders were shaking with silent laughter.

Tony shot him a filthy look and then returned his attention to the man sitting across from him. "Seriously, though, blood-swapping? _Bad idea_."

Bruce had been looking pensive throughout the whole conversation, and finally he spoke up. "Technically, it isn't blood-swapping if the blood is never returned back to the original donor. It's more like blood-mixing."

"Oh yeah, because turning us all into a sanguine Suicide is _so_ much better." Tony replied sarcastically, eyes rolling.

Thor cracked a small smile at that, turning to look at him. "I understand your reservations about this course of action, my friend, but we do not have much choice." He frowned. "I would prefer to have Loki reverse his own spell than attempt to find someone else who would not be as familiar with his magic."

Steve looked pointedly across the table at Tony, and the inventor sighed. "Fine! But for the record, if and or when this all goes straight to hell, I reserve the right to say _I told you so_."

Bruce smiled slightly then, standing up. "Well then, it's decided… Who wants to be the one to find the golden chalice?"

Tony closed his eyes with a groan. "I _hate_ magic."

* * *

"You sure this is gold?"

"Yes, now would you please put it down before you drop it?"

Clint replaced the cup onto the table where it had come from and took a step back. "Are you guys sure about this? Because last time I checked giving anyone, but especially a demi-god, a cup full of blood was a recipe for disaster."

"You clearly watch too much television." Bruce rejoined with a faint smile.

Clint held up his hands in a sign of surrender. "Whatever. Just think you should know that this whole thing doesn't sit well with me."

"It doesn't really sit well with any of us," Tony muttered, picking up a syringe from a nearby table, "but since this happens to be the only avenue open to us, we're sorta stuck with it."

Bruce did the honors of drawing blood until it got to himself, and Tony stepped in for him.

Clint left the room quickly when the blood started being transferred to the chalice, and Tony couldn't really blame him. Blood hadn't ever really bothered him, but seeing a cup slowly fill with the stuff was enough to make anyone's stomach churn.

Loki looked positively jovial when he was led up into the room where they were all waiting, and his mask was removed. He peered curiously into the chalice for a moment before glancing around the room. "Stand opposite yourselves."

Tony wanted to point out he shouldn't be using such a commanding tone, but he decided to keep his mouth shut and just do as he was told. He and Steve stood across from each other, and Bruce and Thor did the same, glancing expectantly between each other and the madman at the end of the room.

"Don't move." Loki's voice had lowered as he picked the chalice up, muttering something before throwing the blood out in a line between them.

All four of them reacted in much the same way, either trying to dodge out of the way of the blood, or yelling at Loki for doing something so wasteful when really, they didn't need more reasons to siphon off their blood.

Part of the way through a shout, Tony felt his mind start to spin wildly, the room starting to twist and warp around the edges. He tried to catch himself on the table to his left but didn't quite make it, suddenly finding himself lurching backwards as the floor bucked under his feet.

The other three seemed to be having the same problem, all lurching about like a crew unaccustomed to the roll of a ship. Bruce went down hard, hitting his head on a table ledge hard enough to make Tony wince even through all the discomfort in his own body.

Wait.

He managed to direct his thoughts enough to look down at his hands and found tanned skin on the back. A brief, rather sloppy, graze of fingers over his chin resulted in a discovery of goatee and stubble. Tony managed a soft snort as he looked at a smug Loki who seemed to be waiting for all of them to pass out.

"Well I'll be damned."

* * *

Tony awoke to a pounding migraine and a pair of lips pressing against his. As power over his vocal chords started to return, the lips pulled away, and somewhere in the background a voice started to speak. Tony, finally able to voice a complaint, beat them to it. "Okay, if that's anyone but Pepper, I swear I'll sick Dummy on you."

A familiar chuckle, only a little strained, pulsed through his head. "I don't think anyone would have to guts to try and get past me at the moment. I'm pretty sure I scared Clint off when he came to check on you earlier."

Long, delicate fingers worked their way over his scalp and he found himself smiling. "Well, permission to come aboard? I don't wanna wake all the way up just to find that you've gone all crazy-CEO on me or anything."

"Permission to come aboard granted, Mr. Stark."

He grinned, one eye cracking open to look up at her. "Why thank you, Miss Potts."

They stayed like that for a while, Pepper massaging away Tony's headache and him staying still in order to enjoy the sensation. "I dunno, maybe I should have my body stolen more often if this is how you react when I get it back…"

Pepper jabbed him non-too-gently in the ribs and he winced.

"Okay, you know, on second thought maybe not." A knock sounded briefly on the door, and Tony couldn't help what flew out of his mouth. "Yes, come in, save me from this madwoman!"

"Tony, don't be rude." Steve sounded somewhere between relieved and actually reproving. "And I see you haven't lost your warped sense of humor."

Tony waggled his eyebrows with a grin. "What? Wishing I'd left a bit of it behind with you so you'd be less up-tight?"

Steve rolled his eyes, but managed a small smile all the same. "Well when you've stopped mouthing off, Fury wants you up in his office for a debriefing."

Tony was about to make a comment about wanting to keep his briefs right where they were when Pepper gave him _that_ look.

There was no escaping _that_ look.

"Alright, alright, I'll be right there." He muttered, slowly pushing himself up into a sitting position.

Steve nodded and sent a shy smile to Pepper before heading back to the door and slipping out of the room.

"Do try to stay in this body from now on, okay?" Pepper muttered, helping him up off the bed.

"Well, that's the plan anyway." Tony replied with a small smirk. "I make no promises, though, because there are crazy stuck-on-revenge demi-gods running around glowing it up and making their own evil, twisted, nefarious plans come true."

Pepper leant up to kiss him lightly, a smile in evidence. "Just try your best."

He smiled for real, leaning in to return the favor. "Mm, I usually do."

* * *

"_Totally_ Thor's fault." Thor looked offended until Tony broke out into a laugh. "Oh man, you should see your face, you look hilarious!"

"It is no laughing matter, my friend." Thor all but huffed in reply. "And given that this was all my brother's doing I do not see how the fault lies with me."

Tony looked at him like he was stupid, which, really, he wasn't, but anyway. "Dude. _You_ brought your brother down here and then _let him off his leash_. You bet it's your fault." Thor muttered something probably insulting into his beer, but Tony ignored it in favor of turning an evil eye onto Clint. "And _you_. If you _ever_ laugh at my, no, _our_ misfortune again, I will personally see to it that the next batch of arrows you get are all duds. Don't think I won't."

Steve was laughing at this point, although softly, and Bruce was looking amused. "Nice to know you haven't lost your touch, Tony." The doctor said with a smile.

"You can take the Tony from the Stark, but you can't take the snark from the Tony."

"Although I'm thrilled we're all back to normal, I have to say it was kind of nice to be out of this suit for a while…" Banner shrugged his shoulders and consulted his glass pensively.

"Speak for yourself." Steve said. "No offense, Tony, but I refuse to ever switch bodies with you again."

"Likewise, _mon Capitan_."

Thor grinned and leant forward. "A toast, then, to another crisis diverted."

Tony laughed and lent forward, knocking his glass against the others. "Well, here we go again…"

* * *

_Again, I apologize that this took longer to finish off, but hopefully you'll forgive me now that's it's here._

_This is the last chapter, but I have a sneaking suspicion I'll be writing more Avengers fics in the future, so keep an eye out._

_And thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorited this, it means a lot. _^_^


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